Diet

[bluebird34]

My 46 year old son has recently cme back to live with me. He is vastly overweight and his stomach is so large it really worries me. He has acquired an appetite for vast quantities of fatty food and i need a few pointers of how to feed him fairly large meals that will help him to lose weight without feeling deprived, I know all about lots of vegetables and he does love these but he is also very fond of meat and cheese and i would be grateful for any recipes that use smaller quantities of either or both but with lots of flavour. thanks Janet

[tiggerblue10]

You could try using low fat cheeses and lean cuts of meat and mince and swap some meat for chicken breast and fish (not fish and chips fish though).

You could try talking to him about your concerns and see if he will attempt to cut down on portion sizes and also eat low fat options.

[gingejbee]

My choice would be home-done stir-fries. Can be done with little oil, little meat and lots of vegetables- plenty of flavour from garlic, ginger, chilli, soy etc.

[boxtops]

Pasta gives energy without adding too much calories - although it may be portion control which is the issue for him. Most people eat far more than they really need, many people don't know how to recognise when they have eaten sufficient.

[Quassia]

Hi tomking,
if he's been used to vast quantities of food for a long period, reduce his portions very very slowly over time. Baked potatoes are filling & nutritious, top with beans & a healthier cheese like Edam which is lower in calories. Does he like fruit? Leave fruit around, don't urge him to eat it, just leave it around so he can see it & let him help himself.

[pastafreak]

maybe you could cook him low carb menus...plenty of meat,poultry,fish,leafy green veggies...and cheese....but no processed junk-otherwise it won't work. Processed carbs cause the body to produce insulin-which in turn causes fat to be stored rather than burned off.

[Cowtipper]

If you change the types of fats you use it may help; foods high in Omega-3 like fish, grass fed beef, milk and eggs from free range cows and chickens should help. Use canola or olive oils instead of corn/vegetable oils. Make sure his digestive track is clean with a good bran mash or raisin bran. The starches are going to be high calorie, so using potatoes or pasta might not be the best idea. Fillers like oatmeal, whole wheat, brown rice, and barley will help fill him up. A small sugar snack a half an hour before dinner will stabilize his blood sugar so he's not as hungry(don't eat those sweets, it will spoil your supper works in reverse). The high carb diet means lots of immediate energy but it doesn't go as far so you get hungrier faster. A short term fast will help shrink the stomach so it can't hold as much.

[JonnyBoy12]

Have you told him that he is overweight? Sorry I can not really offer any helpful advice; just to eat less and exercise more.

[B00]

Why are you even cooking his meals? The man's 46 for heaves sake, not a child!

[China Doll]

I agree with Boobies, he's 46 and should cook for himself.

I also think that at 46 he should take responsibility for the foods he eats. We all of us are aware what is and isn't good for us. Maybe have a conversation about the fact that he is very overweight and it worries you but otherwise, might be time to cut the cord.

[Eve]

I agree with a lot of comments above, he is an adult, portion sizes could factor significantly etc... There is also little to stop him from filling up in other ways if he is not wanting to change his habits which I imagine are quite well established by now.

Does he drink a lot as this could contribute as well and not much you can do to control alcohol intake.

I have to say, I'd lose a fair bit of weight if I moved home. Not that I eat loads but they eat a lot less and in a far more well balanced way than I do.

Good homecooked food might prove a winner though, I know no Sunday roast has come close to my mum's for me.

You could make general changes, skimmed milk, sweetners instead of sugar, losalt (sp?) instead of salt, spraylite instead of oil, leaner meat etc... Healthier ways of cooking things too such as grilling rather than frying, stirfrying in a wok. Maybe low calorie fillers before a meal such as a bowl of vegetable soup.

I found Weightwatchers is quite a good system for learning how much more of somethings you can have to make a meal more filling with less point attracting ingredients.

Being OTT about it might backfire though, I always feel like I'm being watched at home which puts me on edge and is quite upsetting though I haven't lived at home for a long time so visits are easier. As he is an adult it's pretty much up to him if he is to change.

[scotman]

I'm with Boo et al on this one. Tell him to sling his hook.

[classylady60]

Only just seen this thread. One very positive "diet" especially for a large stomach and even swollen feet, is believe it or not leaving off bread and other foods/drinks containing yeast. I have proved this time and again (having suffered swollen feet over the years) and people I recommend this food regime to have been astounded at what it's done for them. A friend of mine couldn't get into his best jacket when he needed to but after leaving bread off for a few weeks he could wear it with room to spare.

The whole thing is to stop eating bread for at least 2 weeks to start with. You can have soda bread, savoury scones and anything that you replace the bread with that doesn't have yeast in it. After 2 weeks if you notice a difference you will know by then that you are affected by the yeast. You can then keep on without bread for another week or more then on occasions you can eat well toasted bread (whichever takes your fancy) and occasionally have a sandwich. The main thing is to limit your intake of yeast (even in beer...) but once you've got rid of the yeast in your system you can have it occasionally and if you notice the problem returns, cut out the yeast again.

Hope that helps. I know for sure this works for me and many people who I know have tried it....personally I don't think it hurts to give it a go for 2 weeks as you can check the result in that time.

CL

[scriptwriter]

I saw a TV programme that claimed if you had some soup 20 mins before a main meal you ate a lot less and could lose weight. My homemade one is: steam any veg you have to hand. Open a cheap tin of baked beans, but rinse away all the (fattening, sugary) sauce, blend the lot together, heat thru and serve.

Scriptwriter

[scriptwriter]

I saw a TV programme which claimed if you have some soup 20 mins before each meal you eat a lot less and lose weight. My homemade one is: steam any veg you have lying around (carrots, broccoli etc). Open a cheap tin of baked beans and rinse away all the sugary sauce its in, then blend the lot together.